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AudioSession handling

AudioSession handling in NanoPlayer​

Browsers, Safari on iOS in particular, control audio routing and silent-switch behavior through the Audio Session API (navigator.audioSession). The session type decides whether audio plays with the silent switch on, and whether the microphone can be used. By default, NanoPlayer manages the session type for playback so audio is audible when the iOS silent switch is active.

If your application uses WebRTC or getUserMedia for microphone capture, see Setting up an application that uses WebRTC or getUserMedia.

Player setting: config.playback.manageAudioSessionType​

Added in nanoStream Player Version 5.0.11.

PropertyTypeDefaultDescription
config.playback.manageAudioSessionTypebooleantrueWhen enabled, the player sets the session type to playback during setup, unless the AudioSession.type is already set to playback or play-and-record, to enable audio playback while the iOS silent switch is on.
var config = {
    "source": {
        // ...
    },
    "playback": {
        "manageAudioSessionType": true // default
    }
};

Setting it to false disables this, so the application can manage the session type itself.

How it behaves​

  • With manageAudioSessionType enabled (default), the player sets the session type to playback during playback.
  • If the application has already set the session type to play-and-record, the player leaves it unchanged.
  • play-and-record also allows microphone input, which getUserMedia and WebRTC require on iOS.
  • The player applies the session type during the setup call.
  • The application can change the session type before or after the setup call.

Browser API: navigator.audioSession.type​

The browser's default audio session is controlled through navigator.audioSession.type. This is not a NanoPlayer config option. See the MDN reference for AudioSession: type for the accepted values.

navigator.audioSession has limited browser availability. Check for it before use, as shown in the example below, and fall back to default behavior when it is missing.

Setting up an application that uses WebRTC or getUserMedia​

If your application captures a microphone and plays audio on the same page, set the session type at the application level, before you call getUserMedia:

// Set once at app startup
if (navigator.audioSession) {
    navigator.audioSession.type = 'play-and-record';
}

The player leaves the session type untouched when it is already set to play-and-record. manageAudioSessionType can stay enabled.

More about the player configuration​

Please check examples on how to configure the player at the Getting started section.

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